The television version of Fires in the Mirrordid an adequate job of not only informing audiences of the Crown Heights incident, but also presented explanations as to why the incident caused such violence. Different opinions and viewpoints from the Crown Heights community were portrayed sincerely without judgement; heart-wrenching descriptions of concentration camps, discrimination, and the deaths of Cato and Rosenbaum were interwoven with humorous descriptions of ordinary life and ominous comments of suppressed frustration against the Jews. The audience was left to make their own judgments about the speakers, but the overall format of the show called for viewers to not act on their gut instinct but to actually think about what was being said. The show encouraged viewers to be thoughtful, and even if they ultimately disagreed with a speaker, the portrayal made them more likely to be sympathetic nonetheless. Ultimately, Fires in the Mirrorwas an emotional, authentic look into a community that broke under the weight of one more tragedy piled onto a history of tense conflicts. I am not sure how I would have reacted if I had been interviewed. I think I would have just been overwhelmed and frustrated by the situation. The entire situation appeared to be based on misunderstandings and conflicting statements, with the truth most likely being some combination of all the accounts. I would have been mad that the already-present tensions in the community overshadowed the death of a young boy and led to the death of an innocent man, but I would not have been surprised that things devolved the way they did. Mostly, I think I would have been lost as to how to keep such an event from happening again.
I am not sure how I would have reacted if I had been interviewed. I think I would have just been overwhelmed and frustrated by the situation. The entire situation appeared to be based on misunderstandings and conflicting statements, with the truth most likely being some combination of all the accounts. I would have been mad that the already-present tensions in the community overshadowed the death of a young boy and led to the death of an innocent man, but I would not have been surprised that things devolved the way they did. Mostly, I think I would have been lost as to how to keep such an event from happening again.